Pakistan could continue with Mike Hesson as their Test head coach, in addition to his white-ball duties, for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, set to begin on November 9.
Hesson, who was preparing for the Asian Games with Pakistan in Japan, was rushed to join the red-ball side midway through the tour in England, after the PCB laid off coaches Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul and seven players.
Hesson took charge after Pakistan’s coaching shake-up
Pakistan had lost two back-to-back Tests and decided the best course of action would be to sack the coaches and a decent contingent of players overnight. This series of very appalling events saw Hesson link up with Pakistan’s red-ball squad ahead of the Edgbaston Test.
With the series already gone to England’s kitty and Pakistan’s longstanding nature of issues, there wasn’t much the interim coach Hesson could do as he oversaw the preparation for the final Test. He did express his interest in taking up the role full time, though the PCB hasn’t yet decided on that.
“I’d be open to it for sure. I love Test cricket, and I think there’s enough talent within the system in Pakistan that, if we can provide some good direction, we can make some strides forward.
“It’s certainly not going to happen in a game or two, but I think there’s some skill there that I’d certainly consider looking after,” Hesson had said previously.
Pakistan’s red-ball struggles continue in WTC cycle
Losing the series 3-0, Pakistan’s struggle against England in Tests was by no means an isolated case. Although they have had a rut across formats, the woes in red-ball cricket have been the most defined. They have only won two games in nine Test games this WTC cycle and currently occupy the bottom-most spot, the same position they finished the previous cycle at.
The two-Test series against Sri Lanka will be their last longest-format assignment for the year, and second last for the ongoing WTC cycle.
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